Shloka 43
द्रोणपुत्रस्याग्नेयास्त्रप्रयोगः — अर्जुनस्य ब्राह्मास्त्रप्रतिघातः — व्यासोपदेशः
Aśvatthāmā’s Agneyāstra, Arjuna’s Brāhmāstra Counter, and Vyāsa’s Instruction
तावन्ये धनुषी सज्ये कृत्वा शत्रुभयंकरे । युयुधानमविध्येतां समन्तान्निशितै: शरै:,तब उन दोनोंने दूसरे शत्रु-भयंकर धनुषोंपर प्रत्यंचा चढ़्ाकर सब ओरसे तीखे बाणोंद्वारा युयुधानको बींधना आरम्भ किया
tāv anye dhanuṣī sajye kṛtvā śatrubhayankare | yuyudhānam avidhyetāṃ samantān niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then those two, taking up other bows—made ready with the bowstrings and fearsome to their foes—began to pierce Yuyudhāna from every side with sharp arrows. The scene underscores the ruthless momentum of battle, where coordinated force seeks to overwhelm even a renowned warrior, testing resolve and the limits of righteous conduct amid war’s chaos.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war amplifies coordinated aggression and tests a warrior’s steadiness; ethically, it points to the tension between martial duty and the dehumanizing momentum of violence, where skill and strategy can eclipse compassion.
Two fighters re-string and ready other bows and then shower Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki) with sharp arrows from every direction, attempting to overwhelm him through encirclement and sustained missile attack.